How this stage unfolds
What happens on site?
Visible construction work and the documents recording specific events are connected, but they are not the same thing. Check each separately.
By this point, the building's structural system has been completed to the extent recorded in the act: foundations, load-bearing vertical elements, slabs, stair flights and the designed roof structure. This is a structural, not a finishing, stage. The apartment may not yet have screeds, plaster, completed building systems, a façade, a working lift or usable common areas.
Appearance alone does not establish that the structure has been accepted. Two buildings may look equally advanced while their documents cover different blocks, sections or stages. Work may also continue after the act is drawn up, so the act is not a live record of the current physical condition.
For the buyer
Why does it matter to the buyer?
This milestone is often used in offers, preliminary contracts and payment schedules because it marks significant construction progress. It does not automatically mean that a payment is due or that the particular unit can now be transferred. The answer depends on the contract, the subject of the transaction and the legal requirements.
For the buyer, the practical question is not only "is there an Act 14", but "for which building exactly is the act and what follows from it for my particular contract". Check that the block, entrance, phase and description correspond to the promised property and that subsequent modifications have not altered the design.
A designer or structural engineer can explain what technical scope has been adopted and whether the description corresponds to the design documentation. The building inspector can guide the building documents but is not a substitute for the buyer's independent adviser.
The attorney reviews the property rights, contract and significance of the milestone for a particular payment or transfer. The notary has a separate role in the notarial proceedings; the buyer's independent review should not be left until the day of the transaction.
Before relying on this stage
What do you need to clarify?
Start with the scope. Find out whether the act covers the entire building or a specific block, section or stage, and whether the offered unit is within that scope. Then match the document to the building permit and the current project version.
If Act 14 is specified as a condition of payment or transaction, find out how the contract defines the milestone, who must notify you and what document you must receive. The generic trade name does not supersede the specific clause.
Checklist
Use this list when speaking with the seller or a specialist. A tick only records your progress; it does not verify the condition of the property or the works.
- 01
Ask for a copy or a verifiable reference and compare the number, date, construction, block/section and building permit.
- 02
Check which participants have signed the document and whether there are any noted remarks, limited scope or subsequent amendments.
- 03
If necessary for the transaction, ask for the separate applicable proof of completed rough construction and do not just replace it with an advertising claim.
- 04
Compare the scheme and description of the future unit with the current project documentation; cadastral registration in itself does not prove ownership.
- 05
Read the exact contractual payment or transfer clause with an independent attorney before assuming that the condition has been met.